Method of preparing and molding wood into different forms



. P SHAW METHOD OF PREPARING OR MOLDING WOOD INTO DIFFERENT FORMS.

Patented May lfi, 1860.

Jay/

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PHILANDER SHA", OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

METHOD OF PREPARING AND MOLDING WOOD INTO DIFFERENT FORMS.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 28,309, dated May 15, 1860.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I; PiuLAxDER SHAW, of Boston, in the county of Suffolkand State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful methodsor processes of treating wood, consequent upon which it becomes sochanged as to be well adapted to uses for which it is naturally unfit;and I do hereby declare that the following, taken in connection with thedrawings which accompany and form part of this specification, is adescription thereof so full and exact as to enable those skilled in theart to practice my invention.

The object of this is to produce from wood, as a cheap material, by themeans herein described, or their substantial equivalents, a substitutefor more expensive materials now used in the arts, the article producedbeing very dense, and well adapted to resist to an extraordinary degree,wear and friction.

The nature of my invention consists in submitting wood to the action ofheat while confined in a compressed state within a mold, and also in sotreating the wood subsequent to filling it, either wholly or partially,with resinous or oily or other moisture repelling matter, or withmetallic or mineral salts, or any preservative chemical, or dye.

The action of heat upon wood while confined in a compressed state in amold is to -materially increase its degree of hardness consequent uponsuch compression alone, decay of the wood also is in a measure arrestedand prevented, and its natural elasticity either wholly or partiallydestroyed according to the extent to which my process is carried.

The practice of my invention will be found to produce a valuable andcheap substitute for horn, to be made into buttons, handles for cutlery,&c., for babbitt and other alloys and metals, in bearings for the movingparts in machinery, for leather, when made into heels and soles forboots or shoes; it may also be used for type, for pavement, and forvarious other uses too numerous to be herein mentioned.

If the articles to be made from the wood are finished, or nearly so, inthe mold, then the wood previous to compression should be cut intoshapes of such size and form as experience alone can show will berequired to produce under pressure any given article.

But if the articles to be made are formed by cutting tools into shapesubsequent to the compression of the wood then the shapes of wood may bemade of any suitable and convenient size and form.

In the practice of my invention I submit the shapes or blanks of wood tothe action of high pressure steam within a strong closed vessel, as bythis I can perfectly season the wood if it contains sap or moisture, andby the condensation of the steam within the vessel I can obtain a vacuumin the pores of the wood. After a vacuum has been produced I admit intothe vessel in a fluid state, oily or resinous or other water-proofmaterial, or any metallic or mineral salts or other preservativechemical, or any desired dye, or other matter, in accordance with therequirements of the article to be made from the wood now subjected tothe action of the injected matter. In some cases, where I desire to havethe injected matter thoroughly forced into the wood, I apply anyrequired amount of pressure to the contents of the vessel.

\Vhen the blanks are removed from the vessel they are submitted to theaction of heat to evaporate from the wood any moisture which maybetherein and any solvent of the injected matter, which may be condensedandpreserved if this is desirable as a matter of economy. The blanks ofwood are now compressed into molds by a screw or any other suitablepress. I prefer to have the blanks and molds in a warm or heated state,but this is not essential. Before the action of the press upon the woodis removed the molds, or the movable parts thereof, are locked or boltedso that the wood cannot recover any of its original bulk by virtue ofits elasticity. The molds with their contents are next removed from thepress, and submitted to the action of heat, which I prefer to apply inovens. I have used from 200 to 300 F. for the purpose of heating andhardening the wood confined within the molds with good results, butwould observe that this temperature may be varied for the difierentvarieties of wood and for the different uses to which the product of myprocess is to be applied.

My invention hardly admits representation by drawings, and themechanical means used in my invention are all too well known to needdescription here. Some of the articles made under my process arerepresented in the drawings which form part of this specification.

Figure 1 represents a heel which was reduced from the blank, Fig. 2,both figures being full size. Fig. 3 represents a last. Fig. 4 a heelwhich also shows means for its connection with a sole and vamp ofleather. Fig. 5 shows a sole and heel made in one piece.

I do not claim molding or bending wood under the influence of steam, asthis W is common and well known to ship carof it, and it is obvious thatthe wood may be seasoned by other well known means, and that a vacuummay be obtained by means of an air pump. The wood in my process is notmolded under the influence of steam but under, and by, pressure alone,and if by choice the wood is left warm or hot, when taken from the oven,this and the warming of the mold before mentioned is merely intended tosoften or render plastic, in a measure, the matter with which the Woodis injected. Neither do I claim herein the compression or condensationof wood impregnated with water proof matter, preservative chemicals, ordye, inasmuch as I have described this method in the United StatesLetters Patent No. 26,712, nor do I claim the impregnation of wood withpreservative substances generally, or the method herein described foreffecting such impregnation, as these are well known as burnettizing,kyanizing, &c, but

What I do claim as new herein, and desire to. secure by Letters Patentof the United States is 1. The method or process of treating woodconsisting in compressing it within molds and afterward heating it whilethus confined under pressure.

2. Also the process of treating wood by impregnating it with steam, andresinous, oily or other water proof matter, and mineral or metallicsalts, and preservative chemicals, and dyes, or any of these, or theirsubstantial equivalents, prior to and in combination with the processabove claimed.

PHILANDER SHAW.

Witnesses:

J. B. CROTTY, W. B. GLEASON.

